State Senators are looking to push legislation that will help small businesses attempt to recover from the coronavirus pandemic. The Senate Economic Growth Committee recently advanced legislation to provide a tax credit to qualified small employers in industries that were particularly impacted by the public health emergency. The employers would be allowed a tax credit for wages paid to qualified employees, and would be available for taxable years 2020 and 2021. In a separate measure, owners of small businesses would be able to deduct purchases made to maintain health and safety compliance for the coronavirus pandemic from their corporation business and gross income taxes. North-JerseyNews.com
The New Jersey Hospital Association recommended its member hospitals restrict all visits for the foreseeable future, with some exceptions. The association recommended relaxing the policy in only select circumstances for patients in hospice or end-of-life care; one visitor or “support person” for maternity patients; one visitor or support person for pediatric patients; and one visitor or support person for a patient undergoing same-day procedure. NJ.com
At least five Hudson County school districts have decided to go remote next week. Bayonne, Harrison, Union City, West New York and North Bergen will all educate remotely from Jan. 3 to at least Jan. 7 as COVID-19 cases in the county are higher than ever and the districts decided to work collaboratively in the hopes of helping to contain cases. The largest district, Jersey City, is still planning to hold in-person classes. The Jersey Journal
Union City is the latest town to mandate face masks indoors due to the surge of COVID-19 cases. The city’s requirement for masking when entering any indoor public space joins Newark, Hoboken, Paterson, Morristown, Montclair, and South Orange in mandating masks again. News12 New Jersey
Millions of rapid at-home Covid tests are flying off pharmacy shelves across the country, giving Americans an instant read on whether they are infected with the coronavirus. But the results are rarely reported to public health departments, exacerbating the longstanding challenges of maintaining an accurate count of cases at a time when the number of infections is surging because of the Omicron variant. The New York Times
A bipartisan bill to relax the eligibility criteria for college students receiving assistance through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has moved forward in the New Jersey state legislature. A-4168, which was cleared Dec. 13 by the Assembly Appropriations Committee, would exempt student recipients of Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) from a 20-hour weekly work requirement ordinarily needed to participate in SNAP. “Economically disadvantaged and often first-generation college students in the EOF program are really hurting from increased food costs and rising tuition rates. Many of us have to save and scrimp to be able to go to college, but forgoing food is a sacrifice no one should have to make,” said Assemblywoman Aura Dunn (R-25), a sponsor of the bill. North-JerseyNews.com
A new law enacted by Gov. Phil Murphy earlier this month set aside $6.3 million to fund a push to improve financial literacy among New Jersey’s economically vulnerable residents. The law establishes a three-year “financial empowerment” pilot program within the Department of Community Affairs that will provide grant funding to help fund forums and programs that are designed to “educate the public regarding financial literacy and empowerment and provide personal financial coaching to economically vulnerable individuals.” Areas of instruction can include how to open an affordable bank account, establish or maintain a good credit score and build personal savings. NJ Spotlight News
The State Park Service is restoring its First Day Hikes program in New Jersey for 2022 after a 2021 cancellation. State officials are offering hikes that can permit proper distancing among participants and fully self-guided options. Among those options in North Jersey are an excursion at Liberty State Park in Jersey City and two mapped hikes at the New Jersey State Botanical Garden in Ringwood. New Jersey Herald
New Jersey is taking steps to expand access to reproductive healthcare services across the state. Under new rules published in the New Jersey Register, the state will do away with medically unnecessary regulations on abortion, as well as open new avenues to seek care including rescinding the termination of pregnancy rule; allow nurses, and midwives to perform early aspiration termination of pregnancy and updated regulations to integrate reproductive care. “At a time when our country is on the verge of severely limiting access to reproductive health care, New Jersey is prioritizing the expansion of these critical services,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. “Removing outdated barriers to care ensures that all New Jerseyans have equitable access to reproductive health care.” North-JerseyNews.com
Republican candidate for Congress Robert Kovic said will stay in the 11th Congressional District primary election. “With the new congressional district map came many questions,” Rob Kovic said. “The short answer to those questions is I will remain in the 11th District race….I did not move out of the district, the Democrats moved me out of the district by two blocks.” InsiderNJ
Nearly a year after the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, Americans are divided over how serious it was, who is to blame and the punishments that have been imposed, underscoring the broader polarization facing the country and fanning concerns about the state of the democracy. A recent Quinnipiac poll found that 93% of Democrats and 56% of independents considered it an attack on the government, while only 29% of Republicans said the same. A Pew Research Center poll showed a declining share of Republicans who believe it is important that rioters be prosecuted, with 57% expressing support in September, down from 79% in March—while Democrats were steady at 95%. The Wall Street Journal
The Trump Organization and the PGA of America reached a settlement in their dispute over the golf association’s decision to cancel its contract with the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, which was set to host the 2022 PGA Championship. The PGA in January announced it was cutting ties with the Trump Organization following the Jan. 6 insurrection, when then-President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol. The Trump Organization then entered a legal dispute with the PGA over the canceled contract, which the two sides announced had been settled on Tuesday. No additional details of the settlement were released. PoliticoNJ
A Superior Court judge has invalidated the results of an Old Bridge Township Council election after finding that some voters received the wrong ballots and has ordered a special election to fill the seat. Democrat Jill DeCaro defeated GOP Councilman Mark Razzoli in the November general election by 11 votes in Old Bridge’s Ward 4. Judge Thomas Daniel McCloskey determined that election officials didn’t properly follow boundaries set in the 2011 ward redistricting map put voters from the odd numbered homes on one side of Cymbeline Drive in Ward 2, and the even numbered homes on the opposite side of Cymbeline Drive residing in the Ward 4. New Jersey Globe
And finally…Allendale resident Sylvia Goldsholl, who beat the coronavirus at age 108 to become one of the world’s oldest COVID survivors, succumbed to old age just hours after turning 110. The Record
Governor Phil Murphy took a family vacation during a COVID-19 surge, this time spending eight days in Costa Rica as cases in his state spiked 600% in the last month due to the highly-contagious Omicron variant. Murphy must be recalled; he’s bad, but look who’s in charge while the Murph is in his speedo getting tan and drinking like a south boston street bum while NJ suffers, sickens and in many cases die. Recall him; Impeach Him; this rat has used NJ and its corrupt political system to help him become president; the bar is sure low but it’s too high for Murphy.